Vat fob tanning hides



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS C, ENGLAND, 0F WILLIAMSBURGH, NEW YORK.

VAT FOR TANNING HIDES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 7,854, dated December 24, 1850.

To all lw/wm il muy concern.:

Be itknown that I, Li-:wis C. Entriamo, of Williainsburgh, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vats for 'lannin and for other Purposes; and I do hereby eclare the following to he a full. clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings. making a part of this specification, in which-l Figure I isa view in perspective. P lg: II is a view in section of my vat and similar letters refer to similar parts throughout.

The nature of my invention consists 1n an improvement in such vats or tanks used in the various processes of preparing leather, as are fitted with revolving liandlers. in vats of the usual make the skins or hides can not be kept in a state of agitation throughout the whole of the vat, as some will lodge in the lower corners &c. and the lniiidling of the remainder then requires a greater expenditure of power in consequence of the increased resistance. By the c onstruction in such vats of a semi-cylindrical bottom of slats I ain enabled to etl`ect the handling of the hides in the various roccsses of limin f, baiting, scouring, was img, and tanning, ar more rapidly and economically than in vats of the usual make.

I construct my iin roved vats generally in the manner and o the materials usually employed, but I arrange across the vat, in seinicylindrical forni a false bottoni of slats as shown at (a) these are to be placed with small intervals (b) between so as to pernnt. the free passage of the liquor employed in the process, that it may be drawn o' when required in the usilal manner, as well as to facilitate the agitation.

'i'.he vat may be made of' any required shape but the proportions which I prefer as most advantageous, are that the radius of the 'semi-cylindrical bottom should be one half greater than that of the wheel or handler, and the lowest point should be at a depth equal to three fourths of the length of the vat. the width of the vat should be only so much greater than the len th ofthe wheel as will admit that to rotate reely.

The operation will be as follows: The skins or hides to be treated being put into the vat will rest on the bottom of slats; the proper liquor for the desired process will then be introduced and when the vat is filled the handler will be put in rotation, having a speed at the periphery of from two to three feet per second. The mass of hides fioating in the liquor is kept constantly rolling over on the slats by the action of the fioats of the handler, and a portion of the liquor urged b v the motion against the slats at one end of the vat finds its way between them and rises again between the slats at the opposite end, thus maintaining a constant circulation of the liquor throughout the vat. ln the process of washing, the impure water is drawn off below the false bottoni and a supply of )ure water is afforded at the surface, while the whole is kept in agitation by the handlers, the slats in this facilitat'ing materially the drawing ot the inipiire water.

It. is evident that rollers may be used in the place of the shits or that other mechanical variations of my construction may be made which will produce the same result and therefore I do not confine in vself to the precise forms set forth herein but. vary the same as the circumstances may require.

I do not claim herein the use of the revolving handler as already secured to me by Letters Patent bearing date of June nineteenth 1847 but what I claim as of my own invention and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The slats as described, in combination with the vat and the handler substantially in the nianncr and for the purposes as herein set forth.

LEIVIS C. ENGLAND lVit nesses S. H. MAYNARD, THOMAS H. Woon. 

